FOR more than 10 months, residents’ concerns regarding the lack of fencing on the railway lines in Queensburgh have fallen on deaf ears at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) and Metrorail.
In September last year, Queensburgh News reported that the lack of fencing along the railway line, which runs from Pinetown to Durban, not only posed a safety risk to curious children, but to the safety of residents who border the railway. It is believed that criminals use the railway as an escape route, even jumping on moving trains to make their escape.
Ivanhoe Retirement Village has also fallen victim to criminals, who use the railway tracks to gain entry to, and escape from, the village’s property.
Although not a municipal issue, local councillor, André Mitchell has been trying to get to the bottom of the situation, trying to track whether PRASA had any plans, or a budget set aside, to fix the fencing. The railway is owned and maintained by PRASA.
Mitchell said he had confirmation from Metrorail last year that re-fencing of the railway in the area was on its agenda, and added he was assured that re-fencing was budgeted for, but said that the official he had spoken to could not give him a date as to when re-fencing would commence.
Almost a year later no work has started, and attempts by Mitchell to ascertain when re-fencing will start have been fruitless.
PRASA’s spokesman, Zama Nomnganga, the head of Metrorail’s marketing and communications unit in Durban, said he will be looking into the matter and respond once he has more information.
